Careem appoints new VP of People

DUBAI, April 18, 2017

Careem, the region’s leading ride-hailing service, has announced the appointment of Ruth Fletcher to the role of VP of People, effective April 1.

The new role has been created to sharpen the company’s focus on employee welfare through the implementation of company-wide initiatives that empower teams and foster a culture of personal and professional growth and development within each Careem office, the company said.

Careem announced its proprietary programme – Careem Women Empowerment and Engagement Network (CWEEN) -- last month to reiterate its commitment to gender equality. The programme aims to provide equal job opportunities, flexibility and transparency to its female talent pool, and ensuring the successful implementation of this programme will be one of Ruth’s first priorities.

“Engaged and empowered employees make happy teams and happy teams contribute towards collaborative workplace environments that boost productivity and efficiency. It is an honour to join a company that places the highest importance on creating a positive work experience for its employees, and I look forward to further strengthening Careem’s position as an employer of choice that promotes diversity and transparency, and encourages its greatest asset – its people – to make work-life balance a priority,” said Fletcher.

“When we talk about being a change-maker dedicated to redefining the future of the local transportation sector, our efforts begin right from our offices where we provide young talent a platform to reach their full potential, to embrace their dreams and to make a difference in people’s lives. The decision to appoint a VP of People comes as a natural extension of our employee-first philosophy and stems from our desire to build an awesome institution that inspires. We are confident in Ruth’s abilities to take charge of our responsibility towards our people and further strengthen our teams’ trust and confidence in Careem as their second home,” said Magnus Olsson, co-founder and chief xperience officer, Careem.

Originally from the UK, Ruth has previously worked with tech start-ups and also served in both Human Resources and Talent Acquisition departments at professional services firms as well as private sector and public sector organisations in the Middle East and the UK. She holds a Master’s degree in Modern History from the University of Oxford in the UK. – TradeArabia News Service